


Cat Scratch Fever

by ShyVibrance



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 19:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5882050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyVibrance/pseuds/ShyVibrance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>mao is a surprisingly good doctor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat Scratch Fever

**Author's Note:**

> what's up i'm super sick and i'm trying to heal myself by writing fluff let's do this

  Shinobu did not like cats very much; he had heard ninjas be compared to them many times, but he just thought that they were plain mean. Every incident that involved him with cats ended up with him covered in scratches and bites. But, something about the small orange cat that was stuck in this tree seemed to call to him. It was a younger looking cat, not a kitten but not quite an adult. Climbing trees was no problem for Shinobu, and yet he found himself very hesitant. He hoisted himself over another branch, and looked over to the feline. It was crying distressedly, looking at the ground. Shinobu sighed loudly, if he couldn't get a cat down from a tree, then what kind of ninja was he? He climbed to a branch closer to the cat, and reached out nervously. The cat inched closer to him, lifting it's wet nose to sniff his fingers. His mouth opened in surprise, he was sure the cat would freak out. He reached over with his other hand, ready to take hold of the cat. 

  The cat had other plans, it seemed - it scratched the young idol's hands mercilessly, and Shinobu, shocked, began to lose his footing. He hadn't realized how close his face had been to the animal until he could feel claws in his chin. He let out a cry, his right leg, followed by his left, losing contact with the tree limb. He closed his eyes, which were now filled with tears, as he fell, accepting his tragic fate.

  He suddenly felt an arm wrap around his leg, then shoulder. He felt the cat escape his grasp, and it run across his chest, claws still out. He blinked.

  "Sengoku! What were you doing in a tree?!" a surprised but concerned voice called out. Shinobu looked up at his savior, who turned out to be second year, Isara Mao. 

  "Isara-dono!" Shinobu cried out weakly.

  "Ah, bad question, I supposed it is like you to be climbing trees, but why were you holding onto a rabid cat?"

  "Uh, well," Shinobu turned his head, trying to blink the tears out of his eyes. "There was a cat in the tree...and I'd thought I'd save it."

  "Cats can find their own way down, Sengoku, please don't endanger yourself."

  "Right...Could you please put me down now, Isara-dono?"

  "Oh, uh, yeah." Shinobu's heels found the ground once again,much to his relief.  


  It was a Thursday afternoon, not too long after school had ended. Mao, like Shinobu, was still in his school uniform. 

  "What are you doing here?" Shinobu questioned. If he remembered correctly, Isara-dono's house was a bit further south than his house. 

  "Ah, there's a stationary store near here, vice president's been complaining nonstop that there's no paper clips in the student council office." He explained, shaking his head.

  "I see." Shinobu nodded.

  "Hey, Sengoku," Mao said, stepping closer

  "What?" Shinobu asked, lifting up his head a little. Mao reached out, his hand gripping Shinobu's chin, lifting his head up. Shinobu's heart was racing, he was never good with people, especially upperclassmen, but he felt even more nervous right now, perhaps because of the traumatic experience he had just gone through.

  "Your face is covered in scratches...Doesn't it hurt?" Now that he mentioned it, there was a sharp pain on the right side of his chin. Mao lifted his head up further, examining. 

  "Your neck is bleeding, too! We should go patch you up." he declared.

  "Uh, no, this is nothing, I can just go home bandage it." Shinobu offered, waving his hands frantically.

  "C'mon, there's a convenience store right here, the cat could've been infected with something, at least let me clean it." he insisted, taking hold of the other boy's arm, and lightly pulling him towards the direction of the shop.

  "Mmm....Okay." he reluctantly agreed. He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt particularly nervous at the moment. Isara-dono had been nothing but kind to him, and yet he still felt like he had to be cautious around him.

  The two walked into the store, Mao's hand still on Shinobu's wrist. Mao marched towards the drug section, he let go of the younger boy's arm and crouched, examining the shelf. He selected a box of bandages and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. They walked to the checkout, Mao put the items on the counter, and began to pull out his wallet.

  "No, wait! Let me pay, Isara-dono! They're for me, anyway." Shinobu cried, a bit surprised at his own outburst. 

  "Hmm?" Mao turned his head, looking at Shinobu a questioning expression on his face. "No, I'll buy them. I'm using the council funds for the other stuff, so it's not like I'm saving it for anything." 

  "O-oh...Well if you're fine with that then go ahead I guess..." Shinobu replied, his gaze sliding towards his feet.

  The balding man behind the counter gave back Mao change, and put the supplies and receipt in a plastic bag.

  "C'mon, there's a bathroom in the back." Mao laced his fingers with Shinobu's, and dragged him towards the bathroom sign. 

  Shinobu decided not to question this gesture, and followed obediently. Mao led him through a door, into a large public restroom. Shinobu locked the door behind him, and Mao placed the supplies on the counter by the sink. Shinobu sat on the toilet and watched intently as Mao poured the rubbing alcohol into the small cap.

  "Okay," Mao strode towards Shinobu, careful not to spill the liquid. "hold out your hand first." Shinobu reluctantly pushed his hand forward, pushing up his sleeve.

  "It's gonna sting." Shinobu nodded in return. 

  With one hand, Mao held Shinobu's hand in place, and he poured the alcohol on with the other. Shinobu gritted his teeth. He heard the sizzle of the rubbing alcohol disinfecting the wound, and felt tears come to his eyes. Mao, in one swift motion, reached towards the counter and grabbed the band-aids. He unwrapped it, and patted it on his hand delicately. He hadn't noticed it before, but the bandages Mao picked out where purple, with little yellow stars on them. He even thought of him when picking out band-aids...How nice.

  "Do ya like the design I picked out? I thought it might match your style." Mao said, a large grin on his face. Shinobu smiled back meekly.

  Mao went back over to the sink, filling the cap with more rubbing alcohol. He came back, putting a hand along Shinobu's jaw.

  "Alright, I'm gonna need you to look up." Shinobu pursed his lips, mentally preparing himself for more pain. The rubbing alcohol felt even colder on his face. He felt Mao dab the edge of his shirt along his jawline, trying to soak up the excess liquid. Shinobu felt more tears begin to form in his eyes, and Mao gently putting two band-aids on his face, one on his neck. 

  "Aaand, there we go!" Mao leaned back, admiring his handiwork. Shinobu looked up at him, blinking the tears out. There was a short moment of silence between the two. 

  "Hey, Sengoku?" 

  "Yes?"

  "I'm gonna check under your hair and make sure there's no scratches, okay?" Shinobu nodded in return. Mao lifted the lock of hair covering the boy's left eye, looking around it for more claw marks.

  "Nope. You're good." Mao loosened his grip, letting the bangs fall from his hand. Shinobu nervously combed the hair back over his eye. 

  "Sengoku?"

  "Mm-hm?"

  "Why do you wear your hair like that?"

  "Like what?"

  "With it covering your face like that. You have such nice eyes, you shouldn't be hiding one."

  Shinobu was taken a bit by surprise. "Ah! Um, well, they say it's better to train your eyes one at a time, y'know?"

  "Sounds like a way to get a lazy eye, if you ask me. That's why I tie my hair up, I hate getting it in my face." Mao leaned in close once again.

  "Really, though." He lifted up Shinobu's bangs again. "You're letting your looks go to waste. You're so cute, I almost wanna kiss you."

  In a moment of both shock and instinct, Shinobu grabbed Mao's collar and pulled his face to his own. Shinobu hadn't exactly kissed anyone before, but he saw people in movies do dramatic things like this a lot, so he figured it would work. After a painful bump between their noses, Shinobu managed to find his way to Mao's lips. After pulling away, and taking a gasp of air, Shinobu processed what he had just done. He then remembered, that in some situations, it was better to simply flee, rather than to stay and fight. He sprinted towards the door.

  "Wait!" Mao took hold of Shinobu's hood, stopping him in his tracks. 

  "I didn't really expect you to be the one to do that, but I'd like to try that again, if you don't mind."

 

  It was a few weeks after the cat incident, and Shinobu was at school after taking a sick day the previous day. He hid in the shadows, hoping no one would notice him. He looked from side to side, searching for any bystanders. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and jumped in fear. He hesitantly turned around. It was second year, Isara Mao. 

  "Ah! It's you, Mao-dono. Good morning." Shinobu sighed in relief.

  "Hi Sengoku-kun, you definitely look different today." Mao said, tilting his head to the side.

  "Oh...Well, um..." Shinobu looked to the ground, embarrassed.

  "Lemme see if it's gotten any better." Mao lifted up Shinobu's bangs, which were now parted to the right, to examine his jaw. 

  "It's still covered in blemishes...Man, too bad that cleaning the wound didn't help it."

  "It's okay, it was my fault for trying to catch a feral cat, anyway. Thank you for helping me again." 

  "Hmm, you just gotta learn to be more careful, Sengoku-kun." Mao wrapped an arm around Shinobu's back and patted his shoulder.

  "AH! Not too hard! My body really aches now, you know..." Shinobu draped his arm over Mao's waist.

  "Poor Sengoku...What was this sickness called again?"

  "It's usually called cat scratch fever. I guess this is just a lesson for me- stay away from cats." Shinobu shook his head in frustration. 


End file.
